American Dreams
by Brambleeyes
Summary: The discovery of a note at a recent murder scene prompts the team to reopen the 1972 killing of a young Chinese woman who was speculated by the neighbors as a mail order bride.
1. Chapter 1

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Authors note: hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know this is my first Cold Case fanfic, so go easy on me. I'm mainly writing this in my down time of from my main fics, so if I don't update quick enough, sorry. Also, just to forewarn you, some of the songs I've selected may not have been at the exact time of the story events but it's not such a huge distraction that it will cause any strife (there mainly just songs that haven't been released till a few months later). Anyway, enjoy.

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The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.

_July 17__th__, 1972_

_("American Pie" by Don McLean)_

_As she nervously followed the crowd through the terminal, her mind began to race with so many questions. I wonder what he'll be like? What will America be like? What will my home be like? Are people in America as nice as they seem?_

_Stepping out into the bustling airport, she squeezed on the handle her small bag, nerves already starting to set in as she exited into the main entrance of the airport._

_Digging into her side pocket, she pulled out the picture that he sent her, head slowly spinning as she searched through the large crowd._

_Walking forward, she continued to look for him, now becoming even more nervous then before. Looking down at the picture again, she turned herself around, still trying to find this man, still scanning through the hordes of people. Where is he? She thought._

_In the midst of the crowd, she spotted someone holding a sign, her name scrawled in pretty poor Chinese writing. With one last glance at the photo, she knew at once it must be him._

_Stuffing the photo back into her skirt pocket, she began to walk forward._

_He was a bit shorter then her, and a kind of on the pudgy side. He also seemed older in person, with his brown hair already starting to thin in the front and skin beginning to go soft on him. But he had a very kind face; bright blue eyes twinkling like jewels and a shaky smile spreading on his face as she approached. In all, he wasn't so bad._

_She on the other hand was even more beautiful then in her picture. Tall, statuesque figure, long flowing black hair, porcelain skin, pale pink lips, a rounded pretty face, she was everything a man could ask for and more._

_"Hi" he said "Wei Jin?"_

_She nodded "yes" she said, "That's me"._

_"Hi" the man said "I'm Jerry"_

_"Its nice to meet you". She had been practicing her English for months now, her entire savings spent on night classes at a local school. She was still shaky in some parts but she at least had gotten the basics down, so it wouldn't be too much of a struggle for her._

_"Nice to meet you as well" he replied, taking her hand in his "I hope you had a good flight"._

_"Yes" she said, "it was nice. Thank you"._

_"Was it your first time on one?" he asked._

_She nodded "but it was better then I expected". He nodded, his lips quivering slightly, free hand whiping his face._

_"Uh" he bent down, picking up a bushel of bright flowers "I got these for you. I wasn't sure which ones you'd like, so I got a bunch just be sure. If you don't like them-"_

_"No no" she said, taking them from him "that's all right. Really, there just fine" a few of them were starting to rot but there were still very pretty and they did have a really nice scent to them._

_"Thank you" she said._

_"I'm glad you like them" he said. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them, both at a lost as to what they should do now._

_"Well" Jerry finally said, "We should get going. Do you want me to get that for you?" he indicated to her bag_

_"No, its okay" she said._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Really, its all right" she said "there really is nothing much in here, just a few clothes and a couple of my things"._

_"Okay, if you're sure" he said "cause its really not to much of a problem-"._

_"Really, its not that big of a burden" she said._

_He laughed "I'm sorry if I seem so desperate. I just want to make sure your happy"._

_"Please" she said, taking his hand again "what you've done for me is something I will always be grateful for"._

_He gave her a beaming smile "anything for a woman as beautiful as you"._

_She smiled back "your too kind". Once again, the silence happened, both once more at a lost for words._

_"Well" Jerry said finally "shall we?"_

_"Yes, please" she said._

_As they began to walk towards the exit, Wei turned to him "so, I have a question"._

_"What?" he asked._

_"America" she replied "is it really as great as everyone says?"_

_He shrugged "maybe not as other say" he paused for a moment "but it sure does have its moments"._

_And with that said, the doors opened and Wei took her first steps into this unfamiliar world._

* * *

_It was night out and on the lawn of residence 213, Wei's body laid sprawled across the green grass. Blood was seeping from a large wound on her head, covering her face, hair soaked with the liquid, and large blue and black marks covered her whole body._

--

_The cop finished his writing, placing the last file into the box, before hauling it up and taking it into the storage room._

_Finding a spot, the box labeled "**Doniphan, W. Oct 1972**" was slid into an empty compartment._

* * *

_Present Day_

Scotty Valens and Lily Rush exited out from the elevator, not having to walk to far down the hall to discover the crime scene.

Flashing their badges at the officers at the door, they stepped over the yellow marker and into the apartment.

"Ah, there you two are" John Stillman said as he walked over.

"Hey boss" Lily said, "what's up?"

"Standard homicide" he replied, just as a body bag rolled out from one of the rooms. Halting the guy, he unzipped the bag; revealing a woman in her sixties, skin pasty white and bruises on her neck.

"Strangulation?" Scotty asked.

"Not quite" John said, "It was the bullet who did her in".

"Who is she?" Lily asked.

"Marla Kipper" he said "found dead in her apartment about one hour ago after a resident from down the hall reported of a domestic disturbance, said she heard two people going at it for about two minutes or so, said it started to get pretty heated".

"Man or woman?" she asked.

"Neighbor couldn't tell" John replied "bad hearing aid".

"How helpful" Scotty remarked.

"By the time police arrived, same neighbor then reported she heard a gun go off only a few minutes after her initial call. Bad hearing aid or not, she was dead sure on what she heard".

"So then our victim must have fought back" Scotty said "and when that happened, perp must have gotten tired of doing it the old fashion way and decided to make it a bit shorter then expected".

"But why call us here?" Lily asked.

"Real reason I called was because of this" from his pocket, he pulled out something and handed it to her "it was found in her room".

It was a picture of a very pretty Asian woman, dressed in a simple outfit against a very fake woodland background.

"Look what's on the back" John said.

Flipping it over, there was indeed something there, writing to be exact, written in a deep black marker.

"I know what you did to her" she started reading, "I'm going to tell. You can't stop me".

"Seems like she never got her chance though," Scotty said.

"Cold job?" she asked, holding up the picture.

"Murder victim back in 72" John said "name was Wei Doniphan, found on her house lawn the morning of October fourth, bludgeoned to death by a large blunt object. Time of the attack was estimated to happen around one or two o'clock, however since most people are asleep at that hour, no witnesses to call forth. And with no murder weapon, no motive, case goes south from there".

"And what's the connection between our victim and her?" Scotty asked.

"Seemed Marla lived in the same neighborhood at the time Wei was murdered" John said, "been there for almost ten years with her then husband and kid before she showed up, moved out a few months after she was killed".

"So after thirty six years" Lily said "she finds out who killed our victim and then informs our guy he doesn't have long before the police show up at his door".

"Except that wasn't going to happen," Scotty said, "so he comes here and kills her off before she gets the chance to spill his little secret".

"Question is" John said "who?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay okay" said Nick Vera, "listen to this".

"This wouldn't happen to be something out of your little trash mag, right?" Will Jeffries asked.

"Not quite but its related" he continued.

"I swear, since when did you start reading those tabloids anyway?"

"You kidding?" he replied "practically littered all over my girl's house. Anyway, can't help its always there in plain sight".

"Next thing you know" Will said, "You'll start watching shows on Bravo".

"Hey!" he shot back "some of those shows ain't half bad. I mean, wouldn't mind having to look at Heidi Klum all day".

Jeffries laughed "whatever".

"Hey you two" Kat Miller said as she walked by "quite your gabbing and come on, we got ourselves something".

"To be continued" Nick said as he got up.

Soon, all the detectives were in the storage room, each one mulling over a different folder from the file.

"Wei Doniphan" Lily began "maiden name Jin. Born and raised in Shanghai China before coming to America in July to be with her husband, one Jerry Doniphan".

"China?" Vera asked, "Well, no wonder for the foreign name. What, was her husband some sort of traveler?"

"Nope" she replied "says here Jerry worked as a consultant at a local law firm here in Philadelphia, named Murry, Keller, and Lane".

"Then how did the two of them meet?" he asked.

"Says here that Jerry found her listed in some marriage catalog from a Chinese agency called Bridal Flowers" Stillman said "She was twenty five at the time, he was forty one"

"Marriage catalog?" Kat asked, "You mean, as in mail order bride?"

"Pretty much" he said.

"Huh, that's classy" Scotty said.

"Who would even do something like that?" Kat asked.

"Most of the times" Lily began "in cases like these, the women come from relatively underdeveloped countries, where not much chances are given to them. Marriage into the US seems like the only way for them to have a chance of getting somewhere in life".

"So what?" Kat asked "you're just going to sell yourself in some shady magazine, where you could get picked up by god knows who?"

"Wouldn't you?" she asked, "If you knew that you had no other option left?"

"All right you two" John interrupted "you can continue this little debate after hours".

"Fine" Kat said, head lowering to the file "whatever. So then what do we know about her other then her little bride status".

"Not much really" Will said "youngest of five siblings, dad worked in a local fish market, mom stayed at home, didn't apply for a job when she arrived".

"So she was basically a trophy wife" Kat said "got it".

"If all she did then was play wife to this guy" Nick asked "then who would want to kill her?"

"What about the husband?" Scotty asked "maybe he got rough with her and took it a bit to far? Hear it happen all the time with things like this".

"No reports of abuse leading up to her death" John said.

"Maybe she was too scared to go to the police" Kat said "after all, if her marriage ended, her free ticket to the US would be out the door".

"All right" Jon said "then you and Scotty can go have a talk with Doniphan while Lily and I go see Marla's ex, find out what his wife's relation was with Wei".

"Hey" Nick said "what about us?"

"You two can continue looking through this folder" John said, "see if you can find anything interesting".

"Best get to work boys," Lily said as she walked by.

"Have fun" Scotty added.

Nick looked over at Will, who simply shrugged "hey, least now you can continue your story".

"Hmm…good point" he replied. With that, he grabbed the rest of the box and the two of them headed out.

* * *

"Seems our husband has done pretty well for himself since Wei's death" Scotty commented as he and Kat began to drive into the suburban limits of the city.

"How so?" she asked.

"Seems he's gone on to better things, business and personal" he replied "two years after his paid for wife gets killed, he becomes the president of his law firm for over twenty years before retiring in 98. He then gets remarried four years after Wei was killed, has two kids with his new wife, since then he's lived happily ever after".

"Can't say the same for our dead bride" Kat remarked.

They soon pulled up to his house after another ten-minute drive. Stepping outside, they see an elderly man sitting on the front porch, a book clutched in his hand.

"Jerry Doniphan?" Scotty asked as they climbed the front steps.

A younger Jerry flashes before them, exactly how he looked back in 72. Same hair, same clothes, same smile, before quickly flashing back to an elderly Jerry, now with only a small patch of white hair, wrinkled old face, and a bit heavier then before.

"That's me," he said, setting down the book "what's this all about?"

"Detectives Miller and Valens" Kat said, bringing out her badge "Philadelphia PD, we're hear to ask you some questions about your first wife, Wei".

"Wei?" he asked, setting down his book "what about her?"

"We're reinvestigating her murder" Scotty answered.

"Well, what for?" he asked.

"New evidence has come up" Scotty replied, "just looking into it, see where it goes".

"Did Wei ever know a woman named Marla Kipper?" Kat asked.

"Marla?" he said in disbelief "what does she have anything to do with Wei's murder?"

"Mrs. Kipper was found dead a few hours ago at her apartment" Scotty said.

"Dead?" Jerry asked in disbelief "but why?"

"We think she might have known something about Wei's murder," he continued.

Jerry sighed "unbelievable".

"So, anything you think Marla might have known about Wei?" Kat said "maybe something about her marital status?"

"What does my marriage to her have anything to with this?" he asked.

"We know about you and Wei's arrangement" Scotty cut in "her whole mail order business. she gets a free ride to the US, you get yourself a nice little wife".

"So what's the deal about that Jerry?" Kat asked "surely someone as successful as yourself could have had the choice of any woman you wanted, why decide to go overseas and have it delivered?"

"Look" Jerry said forcefully, before they could go on "I wasn't exactly the most out going of people back then, wasn't the best looking either, mainly I was just the after thought at every social event. I was desperate, so what? Ain't nothing illegal about it, as far as my forty years of law goes".

When he was done, Scotty began again "so Marla and Wei, anything going on there?"

He waved his hand "we were just neighbors, that's all. Wei would go over to baby sit their kid every once in awhile but other then that, they weren't exactly what you call friends".

"How about any of the other neighbors?" Kat asked, "Did they have something against her?"

"No, not really anyway" Jerry said, "Just had there…apprehensions about her. After all, she just showed up out of the blue one day and it wasn't like I told anyone about how I had gotten married. So naturally, they began to talk".

"How so?" Scotty asked.

"It all started about two weeks when she came" Jerry said "Marla was throwing a little house party at her place and she had heard about Wei just moving, so she invited us over to get to know her better".

* * *

_("Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass)_

_Walking up to the house, Jerry looked over to Wei "you nervous?"_

_She nodded "a little bit"._

_"Don't worry" he said "these are good people, I'm sure they'll make you feel right at home". Walking up to the door, he pressed on the doorbell._

_"Everything will be fine," he said._

_"But what if they ask questions?" she asked. But before he could answer, the door opened, Mark Dansick standing in the doorway._

_"Jerry!" Mark exclaimed, "So glad you could make it!"_

_"Thanks for inviting us" he responded, taking Mark's hand._

_"Its no problem" he responded, "well, come in, come in"._

_As she walked in, Wei started to feel a bit nervous. This was her first every house party, so she was a bit cautious as to what may happen._

_"And who is this fine lady?" Mark asked as she walked in._

_"Oh right!" Jerry said, "Mark, this is my new wife Wei"._

_"Wei, huh?" he said, "That's an interesting name there. What is it, Japanese?"_

_"Its actually Chinese" she responded._

_"Chinese, Japanese" he continued "your still one of the prettiest woman I've ever laid eyes on"._

_"But not as pretty as me, of course" Marla said walking up to them._

_"Of course dear" he said, taking his arm around her and giving her a light kiss on the cheek._

_"So, Wei is it?" she asked._

_"That's right"._

_"Well its nice to meet you" Marla responded, taking Wei's hand "I'm Marla Kipper, it seems we're neighbors now. And as president of the local committee, I just want to welcome you to our little neighborhood"._

_"That's very kind of you" Wei responded._

_"Don't mention it" she responded "well come on, I want to introduce ya to the ladies. Jerry, you don't mind if I steal her for a moment, would ya?"_

_"Not at all" he responded._

_"Meanwhile" Mark said "you and I can go have a little chat with the other men, maybe help solve a little debate of ours"._

_"Well, I am paid to argue for a living" he responded._

_"That's my man" and with the, the two men headed off while Marla took Wei's hand and led her into the living room, where a whole bunch of women were gathered at the couches. From where Jerry was, he made sure to keep an eye on her, just in case something happened._

_"Ladies, ladies" Marla announced, everyone turning to her call "I would just like to introduce the newest addition to our little group. Everyone, this here is Wei, Jerry's new wife"._

_"Hi" she said, giving the girls a wave._

_"Hello!" they all said in cheery voices._

_"Ah, so you're the little lady that's roped our shy little Jerry," said one of the ladies, a thirty something housewife with large brunette hair._

_"Oh don't mind her," Marla said, "Tori just likes to get a rise out of people"._

_"That ain't true" the woman named Tori responded "come on sweetie, lemme fix ya a nice Martini"._

_Wei smiled at this. A few moments later, Tori returned with a Martini in hand, she taking one sip, a sour face crossing her face._

_"What's the matter there sweetie?" Marla asked "you look as though you ain't never had a Martini in your life"._

_"Never really drank alcohol before" Wei responded._

_"So, Miss Wei" Tori said, setting down her drink "where exactly are you from? Ain't never heard of ya till a few days ago"._

_"Well" she said "I grew up in Shanghai for most of my life, this is my first time ever leaving the country"._

_"Shanghai?" said one blond hair woman "you mean all the way out in China?" Wei nodded in response._

_"Wow" the woman continued "and I though me and my husband came from opposite ends of the earth! Oh there he is right now, Terrence! Terrence! Come here!"_

_From the group of men, one of them stepped out. A tall, wiry man with light brown hair and a slight sunken face "what is it Sherrie?" he asked._

_"Now don't be like that" Sherrie said, "I just want ya to meet Jerry's new wife"._

_"Hello" she said._

_"Hey" he said, taking her hand "nice to meet you" and then he walked off._

_"Don't worry about him Wei" Sherrie said "he always like that around new people, I'm sure he'll warm up to you in no time". Wei nodded, reluctantly taking another sip of her drink._

_"So then Wei" Tori said, "how did you and Jerry meet? Never heard of him taking a trip to China before"._

_Wei stopped for a moment, slowly setting down her glass. Jerry didn't like where this was going._

_"Well" she said "we uh…he found me in a magazine article I applied to"._

_"A magazine?" Tori asked, "you mean like one of those dating things?"_

_"Yeah, kind of like that" she said, anxiously rubbing her hands._

_She shrugged "seems a bit odd to me"._

_"Oh now Tori" Marla cut in "lay of the girl. Doesn't matter how they met, just as long as their happy, that's all. So now Wei, how did the wedding go?"_

_"Uh…" Jerry started to feel anxious, now more tempted then ever to walk over and interrupt them._

_"Oh, you simply have to show me your wedding pictures" Sherrie cut in._

_"Same here" said another woman._

_"Did you guys record the whole thing?" said another._

_That's it he thought, I'm getting her out of there. But before he took his first step, a young girl walked down from the stairs, heading right for Marla._

_"Mommy" said a little girl, appearing from behind._

_"Now Tammy" Marla said "I thought I told you to go and play in your room with the other kids"._

_"But I can't find my Barbie doll" the little girl said._

_"I'll help you look for it in a bit" Marla replied "but right now the grown ups are talking"._

_"No, its all right" Wei said, "What did you lose sweetie?"_

_"My Barbie doll" she said "she has blond hair and a pink skirt and a green top and pink shoes on"._

_"Well, do you want me to help you look for her?" she asked._

_"That be real nice," the girl said, already seeming happier._

_"Marla, you don't mind?" Wei asked._

_"Oh, not at all" she said._

_"She's just looking for an excuse to get away from us crazy chicks," Tori said, the woman laughing at this._

_He let out a sigh of relief. They dodged a bullet, for now anyway._

_As they walked past the husbands talking in the corner, Mike spotted them as they went._

_"Hey now sweetie" he said "mommy told you that all the kids had to stay upstairs for the evening"._

_"But the nice lady's going to help me look for my Barbie doll" she said, Wei smiling at this._

_"Just wanted to help her," she said, looking at Jerry and Mark._

_"Well, you two hurry up then" Mark said. And with that, they headed out into the hall._

_"Seems like my kids taking a liking to her" he said to Jerry._

_"She says she likes kids" Jerry replied._

_"Well then, you two should probably get to work on that," remarked Terrence, the men chuckling, Jerry reddening slightly._

_"Oh don't listen to them Jer" Mark commented "there just jealous you got the best looking wife here"._

_"Yeah" Jerry said, looking over as Wei began to head upstairs with Tammy, she flashing him a smile before heading up "sure am"._

* * *

Jerry paused for a moment "still don't know why anyone would want to kill her" he said after a brief pause "she never did anything wrong".

"So what happened after that?" Kat asked.

"Didn't take long for people to start getting suspicious about me and her," he said "Tori made sure to that".

"Tori?" she asked "the woman at the party?"

"Same one" he said.

"Was there bad blood between the two of them?" Scotty asked.

"Tori was the kind of woman who liked to stir up trouble" he said "always the first to hear something bout one of the neighbors, sticking her nose into things that didn't concern her, just a real snoopy woman if there ever was one. Once she found out about something, she made sure everyone knew as well".

"So she dsicovered about Wei's arrangement then?" Kat asked him.

"It was never said explicitly" he said "but she pieced it together, figured it out eventually on her own. After word got out about Wei, people began to act differently around her, talk about her, shun her, avoid her at all cost, needless to say we were never invited back to another house party".

"Thanks for your time" Scotty said, "We'll be in touch".

"Got it officer" Jerry said.

As they began to leave, Kat stopped herself, turning back to look at Jerry "Curious Mr. Doniphan" Kat said, "does your wife know about Wei?"

"I really don't think that's any of your business detective" he said in response "and I'd appreciate it if she wasn't made aware of this".

"Right" Scotty said "we'll keep that in mind". With that said, the two of them turned around and walked back to the car, Jerry picking up his book as they left.

* * *

Back in the city, Lily and Stillman had just arrived at Mark's apartment. With a knock at the door, they only had to wait a few moments before they heard some shuffling feet and the door coming on locked.

As the door opened, a young Mark could be seen answering, face handsome and hair a healthy dark brown. But the image quickly flashes away, revealing a man in his early seventies, gray hair now streaking through his hair, face now with a few more wrinkles, but other then that, he still seemed as healthy as ever.

"Mark Dansick?" Stillman asked.

"Yeah, that's me" he said "is something wrong?"

"We think it's best if you sit down" Lily said "we've got some bad news".

Making sure to keep it as discreet as possible, they informed him about his ex-wife's death. Afterwards, he got himself a glass of water, draining half of it in one gulp as he sat down on the couch, Stillman and Lily finding themselves chairs.

"I can't believe it," he said, "who'd want to kill Marla?"

"We were hoping you could help answer that for us" Stillman said.

"Well, I'll try my best" he said "but I don't know how much help I'll be".

"What can you tell us about Marla's relationship with Wei Doniphan?" Lily asked.

"You mean that Asian chick that Jerry got himself?" he said, "What she got to do with this?"

"We believe she might have found out something about her death, maybe it might help solve Marla's death as well" Lily answered "was she very close with Wei?"

"Not that I'm aware of" he answered "she babysat our daughter Tammy every once in awhile but she kept it at that, bit uncomfortable with the whole ordeal over her"

"So then you two knew about Wei's status then" John said.

Mark huffed slightly, a smiling forming on his face "well, ain't like it wasn't to hard to figure out. I mean, some woman showing up one day claiming to be Jerry's wife without even a hint that he was even going out with anyone, something ain't right there. Besides, ain't no way someone like Jerry could get a woman like that without they're being some sort of condition".

"Anyone you could think of that might want to hurt Wei?" Lily asked.

"Not that I'm aware of" Mark said.

"Anyone at all that could have meant harm to her?" she said.

He licked his lips "well, I wouldn't say there was no one who wanted her dead but there were sure some who would want nothing to do with her".

"Like?" Stillman asked.

"Tori Wardshaw" he said "local neighbor woman back when Marla and me were together. Had a reputation for being the neighborhood gossiper. Anything she dug up, people would know in less then seven hours, at least".

"So she had something against Wei" John said.

Mark shrugged "pretty much, yeah".

"What for?" Lily asked.

"Just her whole thing" Mark said "the whole reason why she was even here in the first place. I mean, its not everyday you hear something like this, tends to get people a bit nervous and some more then others. In Tori's case, she had that girl written of the moment she suspected something wasn't right".

* * *

_("America" by Simon and Garfunkel)_

_Mark walked into the grocery store, searching through the aisles for his wife. He had just finished shopping at the hardware store and wanted to check on Marla, see if she was close to being done._

_Walking down another aisle, he spotted her, Tammy by her side._

_"Mommy, can't I get this?" she asked, waving the licorice in her hands._

_"Well all right" Marla said "but that's the only candy your getting for today". Mark then appeared from around the corner._

_"Hey" he said, "got everything I needed from next door. You almost done?"_

_"Oh, yeah" Marla said "just a few more things and we should be-"_

_"Hello Marla" Wei said, stopping her cart in front of hers._

_"Oh!" she gave a slight squeal when she saw her "sorry Wei, you gave me a bit of a fright"._

_"Oh, I'm sorry" Wei said, "I hope I didn't mean to"._

_"Its okay" she replied, voice a bit shaky._

_"Hi Mrs. Doniphan" said Tammy._

_"Hello Tammy" she replied back._

_"Are you going to come over again on Friday?" she asked._

_"Well, I don't know" Wei replied "its really up to your mom"._

_"But of course" Marla said hastily "I mean, you always do whenever we go out. Become our new go to girl". Wei shifted slightly, Mark already starting to feel this situation going downhill._

_"Is everything okay Marla?" she asked._

_"What?" she asked hastily "oh, its fine, everything's just fine"._

_"You sure?" she asked._

_"Well, didn't I just say that?" she suddenly snapped._

_"I'm sorry" Wei said._

_"Now Marla" he said " there really is no need for that"._

_She sighed, "I'm sorry, just been having a…stressful week, that's all. You know, Tammy's going to be starting school soon and-"_

_"Careful their Marla" came the voice of Tori Wadshaw from behind "you don't want to tell Miss Wei every single thing. You don't know what she might do with that kind of information"._

_"Hello Tori" Wei said, oblivious to Tori's remark "how are you? I haven't seen you since the party-"_

_"Save it bitch," she suddenly snapped, "don't think I can't see past your little façade"._

_Shock crossed Wei's face, as did Mark and Marla's, all of them just taken back by this sudden statement._

_"I-I'm sorry Tori" Wei said after a moment "I don't know-"_

_"Oh don't play dumb with me" she cut in "I know all about your little deal with Jerry. What, you were so desperate to leave your pathetic life that you jump on any half ass scheme to get you out?"_

_"I-I" she tried to say something but Tori wouldn't allow it._

_"These are good people" she continued, "We don't need lowlifes like you making a mess of things"._

_"That's enough Tori" Mark said._

_"Don't try to defend her Mark," she said "she'd steal you from Marla if she had the chance"._

_"Mommy" Tammy said, now starting to get scared._

_"I think that's enough Tori," she said._

_"Fine" she said, now rounding on them "you two may not see threw her but I do" with that, he turned back to Wei, who at this point seemed to be on the verge of tears._

_"You just stay away from me and my family" she said, finger pointed her as she began to walk away "this is your first and only warning". And with that said, she turned around and headed for the door._

* * *

"Tori wanted nothing to do with Wei" Mark said "and she made sure that she made her intentions clear".

"Any other incident like this happened afterward?" Lily asked.

"No" he said simply "after that, Wei and Tori never spoke to each other. As far as I'm aware of, she made sure to keep as far away from Tori as possible".

"Understandable" Stillman said.

"Other then that" he said "I'm not sure what else I can tell you".

"Any chance we can get in contact with your daughter?" Lily asked.

"Well, she's out of town at the moment" he said "won't be back till a few days. But I don't see how she could help, she was only five at the time".

"We just want to make sure we look into every possible lead" Stillman said "anything that could possibly help us".

Mark nodded "okay, I'll be sure to tell her".

"Thanks for your time Mr. Dansick" Lily said as they both got up.

"No problem" he called as they walked out of the apartment. Instantly, John took out his cell phone, dialing Scotty's number.

"Valens" he heard him say.

"Just got done talking to Marla's husband," he said.

"Same with the Doniphan" Scotty replied "think we might have something with a woman named Tori".

"As in Tori Wardshaw?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Got something from the ex about her" Stillman said "said she had a beef with Wei, one that might have escalated into something more deadly".

Lily overheard this "something up?" she asked.

"We'll talk more at the station" Stillman finished after a few minutes, flipping the phone shut "Scotty and Miller just got done with Doniphan, both say that Tori was starting problems at a house party two weeks after Wei arrived".

"Seems like she has had it out for Wei in the very beginning" Lily said.

"Maybe she kept to her promise that night" Stillman said.


	3. Chapter 3

At a small house situated in the city, Lily and Kat were just beginning to sit down with Tori Wardshaw, who had just appeared

A brief image of her younger self flashed by as she walked past the detectives, back when she was slim, hair as big as ever, a swath of make up on her. Now, when it flashed back to her current self, her big hair was now gone and no longer the same shade of brown it was before, same with her no longer slim figure and nearly absent make up.

"I hope you like green tea" she said, placing the tray down "its all I drink now a days".

"That's okay" Lily responded, never really a tea person to begin with.

Tori gave a sigh as she sat down "so now, what I can do for you young ladies?"

"We're here investigating the death of Wei Doniphan" Kat said, "that name ring a bell?"

"Oh my" Tori said, "now there's one name I haven't heard of in awhile".

"Well from what we've heard" Kat said "you had it out for her back then, didn't really approve of her whole situation with Jerry. Told her straight up that she should keep away from you".

"Well, I don't think I used those words exactly" she said.

"But that's basically what you were implying" Lily said.

"If you want to get so technical then" Tori said haughtily "then yes, I guess that is what I said".

"After Wei's murder" Lily began "you high tailed it out of there, left just under a month after she died. Trying to escape from something?"

"You don't expect me to live in a neighborhood were someone was murdered?" Tori said, "Not something you want your friends or relatives to find out about, I can tell ya that".

"Seems like your pretty good at getting rid of things that bother you" Kat said in an implying voice.

"And what might that mean?" Tori asked.

"Maybe at some point Wei staying away wasn't good enough" she continued "figured you should get rid of her yourself, erase the problem forever, then afterward you could get the hell out of there before people started to ask questions".

"Oh now stop" she said, "do you actually think I killed her?"

"Sure as hell had a grudge against her" Lily added "warned her that if she didn't stay away from you, bad things would happen".

"I had a big mouth back then" Tori said "and I said a few things I didn't mean to say. And besides, the day she was killed, me and my family were at my mom's house. Don't believe me, you can check for yourself".

"Trust me, we will" Kat said.

"And plus, me and my little threats were the least of her worries" she added.

"And what might that mean, exactly?" Lily asked.

"Lets just say I wasn't the only one who seemed to have an agenda with".

* * *

_("Happy" by The Rolling Stones)_

_Tori was doing her routine exercise, making sure to go at a nice even pace to not strain herself, least that's what she read from the fitness book._

_As she passed the Doniphan's house, she spotted Wei tending to the garden up front, gloves on, pale of gardening tools by her side, hair tied up as she busily began trimming the rose petals._

_She looked up, spotting Tori as she ran. She waved her hand, that smile of hers etched onto her face. She simply turned her head in disgust, not even bothering to acknowledge her._

_As she continued to go, she almost had to stop when Terrence suddenly stepped into her way. Catching herself, she began to run, only to slow down once again when she turned back as he heard him begin to talk to Wei._

_"What the hell were you thinking by going to my wife?" he demanded, obviously very heated._

_"Please" she said, "she had a right to know. What happened was wrong and you know it!"_

_"So you decide to go run off and tell my wife!" he yelled "you know, she's threatening to divorce me now because of your talk!"_

_"She won't do that," she said, voice still calm "she loves you too much to let you go"._

_"Oh cut the bull shit!" he said "I don't know what they teach you back in Hong Kong but here in America, love isn't exactly what keeps a marriage together now a days"._

_"Then maybe you shouldn't be with her if you don't care for her" she said._

_"Oh, your one to be talking" he said in a mocking voice "selling yourself off to the first pervert who takes a fancy to you. Tell me is that something they teach back in Asian town as well?"_

_"Please leave Jerry out," she said in a harder tone "he has nothing to do with this"._

_"Oh, but he has everything to do with it!" Terrence's tone becoming even higher "don't forget sweetheart, if he finds out what you did, he'll get rid of you like that! And once that happen, you're out of a meal ticket!"_

_Just then, the door opened and Jerry stepped out._

_"Hey Terrence" he said, a bit cautious "everything okay out here?"_

_"No, everything is not okay" he said, now going off on Jerry "maybe you should tell your whore of a wife to stay out of other peoples business"._

_"Okay" Jerry said, "I think maybe its best if you left now, Terrence"._

_"Fine" he said, "we were just finished anyway" he turned to Wei, who at this point had her head down._

_"See you around" he said to her, before turning on his feet and walked off._

_As soon as they left, Wei threw down her gloves and started to cry, rushing past Jerry and into the house._

_"Wei, Wei!" Jerry yelled, now chasing after her._

_After a moment, Tori began to run again. But after taking just a few steps, she really had no more interest in running and instead turned back around to head home._

* * *

"Terrence" Kat said after Tori finished "he's Sherrie's husband, right?"

"Yep, that's him" she nodded in response.

"Any idea as to why he'd get so angry at Wei?" Lily asked.

"Oh, lots of them" Tori said "but my main theory, there was something going on between the two of them".

"You mean as in a physical relationship?" Kat asked.

Tori chuckled "is there any other?" she said, picking up one of the cups and taking a sip.

* * *

They returned to the station in little under thirty minutes, immediately going over what they had just learned and what Vera and Jeffries were able to find out.

"Tori's story checks out," Jeffries said as he walked towards them "it seems she was at her moms house the night Wei was murdered, didn't return home till another three days after the whole incident. So we can cross her off".

"What about this Terrence guy?" Lily asked, "What do we got on him".

"Nothing much of interests in his personal life "Vera said"but get this. During that entire year, the cops were called down at least four times to break up arguments the he and the wife were having, each filed under domestic disturbance".

"Sounds like our boy Terrence had a pretty hot temper" she commented.

"Wouldn't be the first time he lost it with a woman" Jeffries said, "maybe one time though, he let his anger get the best of him".

"What about Sherrie?" Lily asked "anything stick out with her?"

"Nope" Jeffries responded "didn't have a job, stayed at home most of the time, just your average housewife".

"Hey, did anyone see where Kat went?" Vera asked "she's been gone an awful long time".

"Do you even need to ask?" Jeffries said.

"Ah, him" he said, quickly understanding what he meant "But I thought that whole thing was smoothed over? He gets to see his kid now, what more does he want?"

"Dunno" Will responded "My best guess, if she's taking this long to deal with him, part time seeing his kid ain't cutting it".

As if on cue, Kat soon walked back in, hand wiping something from her eye.

"Hey" Vera began "everything all right?"

"Peachy" she responded, voice cracking slightly "so, what did I miss?"

"Nothing much" Lily answered.

"Scotty and the Lieutenant already leave?" she asked, picking up a file from the box, ruffling through it hastily.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago" Vera said, voice trailing of as she set down another file, grabbing another from the box.

"Kat?" Jeffries said after a moment "you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, really" she said, sniffing slightly "I'm fine, I just...I'm just going to get a drink of water, I'll be right back". Placing down the file, she quickly walked off without another word.

"I'm taking a guess here" Vera said "but I don't think everything is all right".

* * *

Scotty and Stillman were still waiting in Terrence's office, both starting to get annoyed at the ridiculous wait.

"Where the hell is this guy?" Scotty finally said.

"Easy there Scotty" Stillman warned.

"Come on boss" he said "we've been waiting here for twenty minutes now. How long does it take to give one worker a simple warning?"

"Better to have him give a warning then me" Stillman said.

"Yeah but you make it quick" Scotty added "harsh but quick, so the life damage doesn't last long".

"Very funny" he replied.

After he said this, the door behind them opened, a young Terrence walking into the room, his image quickly turning into his elderly self as he passed Scotty's head.

"Sorry about that" he said "took a bit longer then I expected".

"We hardly noticed" Stillman said mockingly.

"So, you guys said you were here about Wei?" he asked as he took a seat behind his desk.

"We heard that you two were having some sort of thing with each other" Scotty asked "that true?"

"I wouldn't say entirely true" he replied, smile creeping onto his face.

"Then please, enlighten us," Stillman asked.

"It was just a one time thing" he said, "She was just some miserable little China girl way in over her head trying to get some sort of attention".

"And you figured you'd be the one to give that attention?" Scotty asked.

"In short" he said "yes".

* * *

_("Layla" by Derek & the Dominos)_

_Terrence heard a knock at the door just as he came from the backyard. Grabbing himself a towel, he walked to the front and opened, Wei standing there._

_"What do you want?" he asked, a bit tougher then was needed._

_"I'm sorry," she said, "I was just wondering if Sherrie was home? I just wanted to make sure when the next book club meeting was"._

_"She's out at the moment" he replied "but she'll be back in just a few minutes. Wanna just come in and wait for her?"_

_"You sure that's all right?" she asked._

_"Hey, no trouble for me" he said, opening the door further. After a bit of hesitation, she walked in._

_"Want me to get ya something?" he asked, "water perhaps?"_

_"That would be nice, thanks," she said as she sat down on the couch. A few moments later, Terrence returned with two glasses in his hand._

_"Here you go," he said, handing her the water._

_"Thank you" she replied, taking a small sip from the glass. After a bit of silence between the two, Terrence decided he break the ice a bit._

_"You know" he said, "I don't think it would be such a good idea for you to come to the meeting"._

_"Why is that?" she asked._

_"People have been talking" he said "about you and Jerry"._

_"What about?" she asked, concern crossing her face._

_"I dunno, just neighborhood gossip, that's all" he replied, tugging slightly at his shirt "Tori's gossip to be exact. She keeps saying that you're some sort of harlot who married your way into the US"._

_She almost choked on her water "w-what?" she said in astonishment "why would she say something like that?"_

_"Well, is it true?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat._

_"Of course not!" she said hastily "I would never! Can't believe she say something like that, I thought we were friends"._

_"Guess that ain't so anymore" he said, "but seriously, can't help but wonder if its true or not"._

_"What do you mean?" she asked._

_"I mean," he said as he got off his chair, walking on over the couch where she sat "whole thing about two of you finding each other in some magazine, living half way across the world" he sat down next to her "just doesn't seem like a plausible story". She didn't say anything, face hung slightly._

_"Besides" Terrence continued "why would such a pretty thing marry some loser like Jerry Doniphan?"_

_"Don't say that about him" she said quickly "he's a good, caring person-"_

_"Oh don't start with that now," he said, moving closer "good and caring can only get you so far. Girl like you can have any man she desired". His hand began to extend towards her._

_"A real man who knows how to take care of ya" he said, gently pressing on her knee._

_"Please stop yourself," she said, jerking her leg away._

_"Come on" he said "ain't no way a guy like Jerry can give someone like you the thing she deserves". He moved even closer, wrapping his arm around her waist._

_"Sherrie will be home soon," she said quickly, pulling off his arm._

_"She won't be back till three" he said "got the whole place to ourselves for a full hour". Wei didn't say anything, body becoming immobile, eyes darting all over the place._

_"Come on" he continued, his lips barely touching hers "I know ya want it, you want it just like I do". He gently kissed her, warm lips sending a wave of pleasure down his back._

_She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her, kissing once more. She struggled for a moment or two longer but eventually, she gave in and nothing stopped him from pulling her even closer to him._

* * *

He laughed again "swear to god, those Asian woman. Don't know where they learn it from".

"Think your wife would appreciate that kind of talk from you?" Stillman asked, who at this point was pretty much over this scumbag.

"I've been trying to divorce that bitch for ten years" he said "but she's to god damn stubborn to sign the papers. Thinks that we can work it out if we tired, but I'm pretty much over her at this point".

"We hear you have a real anger problem Terrence" Scotty said, "four times the cops were called to your house in 72 alone".

"If your going to try and blame her murder on me" he cut in "then go do some further research kid, cause I was working late at the office the night she got killed. And as for my anger issues, I'll be proud to let you know I began taking anger management classes soon after our fourth charge. Haven't had an outburst in nearly thirty years".

"Bravo for you" Stillman said.

"If that's all the questions you have for me then" Terrence said "I'd appreciate it if you left, I got a meeting in a few minutes and really have to start putting things together".

"By all means" Stillman continued as he got up "we wouldn't want to interfere with your work life".

"Thanks detective" he replied, giving them a smile before they turned to the door.

Soon as they were out, Scotty exclaimed "man, what an ass hole".

"Ass hole or not" Stillman replied "least now we know Wei and Terrence did in fact have an affair with each other, then she starts to feel guilty about the whole thing and goes tell Sherrie behind his back".

"Ain't nothing worse finding out your husband slept with another woman" Scotty commented "like I always say, stuff like that can lead to a whole lot of trouble".

"And probably led to Wei's death" John said as they exited the building.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning, Lily was sitting down at her desk, half finished cup of coffee at her side, another file from Wei's box cracked open. Shuffling through another page, she spotted the Lieutenant walking towards him, something clutched in his hand.

"Hey boss" she said, placing down the now empty cup "what's up?"

"Just got this from downstairs" he said, handing her a piece of crinkled paper "investigators at Marla's apartment found this in her bed stand drawer. Seems she had been doing her own private eye work into Wei's death".

Looking at the paper, there were many crossed out lines; some barely legible from all the corrections made. Crossed out names were circled, lines seemed to connect other pockets of information together, it looked like a pretty poor job of keeping organized.

"Two other sheets were found just like this one" he continued "most of it was pretty useless, could hardly tell what one sentence said it been reworked so many times".

"What's so special about this one then?" she asked.

"This seemed to be the last paper in the drawer" he said, "Again, most of it was impossible to read, except for one sentence at the bottom". He pointed to the bottom left corner, a small paragraph that seemed to have been added till the very end.

"Twelve fifty to one" she began "someone she knew, 213 through 224, lawn gnome missing". Then the sentence ended.

"214 to 224" she said, "home addresses?"

"213 were the Doniphan's residence" Stillman said, "214 through 224 were the remaining addresses on their street".

"These were the homes were Marla and the others lived right?" she asked.

"Definitely" he answered "as for the twelve fifty to one, we believe that was the time our killer confronted Wei and since her estimated time of death was somewhere between one and two, it seems like a logical assumption".

"What about this lawn gnome?" she asked, "What's the significance of that?"

"Hang on" he said, moving around her so he could get to the opened box. After leafing through its contents for a few minutes he pulled out a couple of photos. He laid down a photo of Wei and Jerry, both smiling, hands held as they stood in front of their home on a particularily fine day.

"Right there" he pointed to a place just above Wei's shoulder, a stone garden gnome situated on the lawn.

"This was taken only four days before her death," he said, now placing down another photo "this was shot the night she was killed".

This time, it showed a pair of cops prepping a body bag onto a stretcher, house lights now all on, a crowd of people now beginning to form at the edge of the page.

"Now look," he pointed at a spot just over the stretcher "same lawn gnome in the previous photo is now missing from his spot. And by the looks of that dark area where it used to be, seemed to have been removed only a short time ago".

"You think that might be our murder weapon?" she asked.

"Very well could be," he said, "if she was killed on her lawn and our culprit didn't have any sort of knife or gun on them, that garden gnome seems like an ideal alternative".

Soon afterwards, Kat came walking in, already seeming anxious even before the day had started.

"Still problems going on between her and the kids dad?" he asked.

"Seems that way" Lily responded "boss, why don't you go talk to her? Usually your good with stuff like this".

"Don't think that's stepping over the line a bit?" he asked.

"Oh come on" Lily said "wouldn't be the first time you've done so. Besides, their too grateful to care about you butting in".

He sighed, "all right, I'll try but I won't make any guarantees".

"Ain't asking for none" she responded.

Kat was busy pouring herself a cup of water from the cooler, arm slung over the top of the jug, letting out a deep sigh.

"Kat" he said, her head turning at the sound of his voice "can we have a talk in my office?"

"Yeah, sure" she said, letting go of the water tab. She followed him into her office, closing the door behind her as they entered.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing critical" he said, "just wanted to ask if everything was alright".

She shrugged her shoulders "yeah, everything's just fine".

"You sure?" he asked.

"Positive" she said, taking a sip of water.

"Kat" he said, a slight tone in his voice, seeing right past her defense.

She sighed "that obvious huh?" she said.

"What's going on?" he asked, "I thought you two had come to some sort of agreement?"

"We did" she said "its just…now that he's getting to know her better, he feels as though a few hours a week aren't enough".

"So, what's he asking for now?" Stillman said.

She huffed slightly "he wants her to come and spend a day at his house, a full day with him, without me hovering over like some sort of prison gaurd, as he like to put it".

"And you don't think she should?" he asked.

"Thing is boss" she said, "I still don't trust this man. I know he says he's changed and all but I just don't buy it. I mean, you have no idea what this guy has put me through in the past and just because he spends a few years in lock up, he expects me to just trust him all over again? I don't think so".

"I know it's not my business" John said "and ultimately, it boils down to what you think is best and I think that's what it should stay like. If you don't like the idea of your daughter being with him for a whole day, then don't allow it. You've already trusted him enough to even see her in the first place, that has to amount to something".

"Maybe" she replied, swirling her water a bit.

"What I'm trying to say is simply this" Stillman said, "You have to be the one who makes that call, not me, not him, but you and only you".

She nodded, hand fiddling slightly with the plastic cup in her hand.

"Think you can do that?" he asked her.

She nodded "yeah, think I can" she said "thanks boss".

"Don't mention it" he replied.

* * *

An elderly Sherrie sat on the opposite end of the table, gray hair tied back in a bun, and red horned glasses perched on her nose, looking about as cheerful as ever considering the situation.

"Must have been hard finding out your husband had cheated on you with Wei" Vera said.

"It was" she responded "but if you think that gives me a motive to kill-"

"Seems like the perfect one" Scotty cut in.

"Must have been a real slap in the face when Wei told you" Vera said, "hearing that the love of your life was fooling around with the paid for wife from down the street".

"Probably figured you get her back" Scotty said "except maybe take it a step further and get rid of her for good, just to be sure it never would happen again".

"I will admit," she said, "I was angry at the time, more angry then I'd ever been in my whole life. But I would never reach a point where I'd want to kill!"

"You'd be surprised how many people say that" Vera said "but believe me, circumstances like these, things can escalate, people get caught up in the moment, reasoning seems to go out the door, and before they know it murder doesn't seem like such a bad idea".

Sherrie sighed, not saying anything.

"Come on Sherrie" Scotty said "now's the time to set everything straight".

She raised her head, eyes misting slightly "I knew for a long time that Terrence didn't loved me like he used to". The younger Sherrie flashed into view, hair still golden blonde, ruby red lips against her tanned face, no longer bright and cherry like she used to be.

"But I was too ignorant to see it for myself" another flash and her old self reappeared "I kept holding on to that idea the man I married would came back to me again. But what she said only confirmed the very thing I was running from".

"All the more reason to get her back" Vera said.

She laughed again "you got a point there" she replied "but truth is, by the time she got killed, I had no reason to get her back".

"Why?" Scotty asked.

"Cause she was the one who convinced me to give Terrence a second chance".

* * *

_("Pieces of April" by Three Dog Night)_

_Sherrie was sitting on the front porch chair, glass of lemonade clutched in her hand. Actually, it was less lemonade and more of a mixture of vodka and lemon juice. Taking another large swig, she looked over to see Wei walking over._

_Getting up, she walked to the edge of the steps, grip on her glass tightening "I thought I told you not to come here again" she said coldly._

_"Please Sherrie, let me explain" Wei began._

_"I think you already did that" she said "don't think it needs any more explaining"._

_"Sherrie, please listen to me" Wei tried again "it was never suppose to happen, I don't even know what got over me. I was just…so confused, you don't know how hard it is-"_

_"Oh will you just stop" Sherrie said suddenly "tell me Wei, exactly how hard is it to flash a pretty face at a desperate loser like Jerry? Convince him to cart your sorry ass all the way into the US, have him take care of you, house you, feed you, parade you around like you were his pride and joy"._

_"Jerry would never do that!" Wei exclaimed._

_"Then your even more oblivious then I thought" Sherrie said, steely eyes locked onto Wei._

_"You have to believe me" she said, "Terrence loves you, he really does. What happened was nothing more but a mistake, which I regret ever so deeply. If I could take it back, I could". Sherrie didn't reply, simply taking another sip of her drink._

_"He truly does care for you Sherrie" Wei continued, "You just have to give him time. I'm sure that if you give him that chance, you will see that man you fell in love with in the first place"._

_"Oh?" Sherrie said "and what would you know about love? When have you ever been in love? Do you even love Jerry? I mean, truly love him?" Wei didn't respond, head lowering slightly, hands fiddling with her skirt._

_"That's what I thought," she said after a few more moments of silence from Wei "now get the fuck off my lawn"._

_Head still lowered, she turned around, beginning her walk back to her home. As she began to walk the street, she turned back to Sherrie, who was still standing there with her drink at hand._

_"I know he loves you Sherrie" Wei said, "I just know it"._

_And with that said, she turned her back to Sherrie and continued on to her home._

* * *

She said nothing for a while once she finished.

"I knew she was being sincere" she finally said "I was just so angry at the time, I couldn't bring myself to say it to her face. I forgave her but it was already to late, by the time she had come to me I made sure the whole neighborhood had known about the affair".

She smiled, cheerful face returning "you know, she was the whole reason why I've stayed with him all these years" she said, "just waiting for that day when he finally come back to me, thinking maybe she was right".

"Guess that never happened" Scotty said.

She shrugged "guess not" she replied.

She turned in her chair "see that bowl on the counter?" both Vera and Scotty turned to where she was pointing. A single decorative bowl was placed near the end of the kitchen counter, apparently having become the dumping ground for many assorted papers.

"Those divorce papers he filed me have been in that bowl for almost ten years now" she said "everyday, he keeps asking me the same question 'when ya gonna sign them? When you gonna sign them?' and every time I tell him that we can still work it out".

"Still believe that?" Vera asked "even after all these years?"

She laughed "not any more" she replied "I tried to stick with it as long as I could, pray that Wei was right about it all, though by now I know that's never going to happen. Think of it as my little revenge tactic against him".

"Hey, marriage is all about compensation" Vera replied.

"Did you ever keep in contact with Marla?" Scotty asked "even after she and her family moved?"

"Oh yes" Sherrie replied "we had known each other for so long, just couldn't bear to lose touch with one another. Just can't believe she's really gone. I say that woman had about another twenty years left in her".

"Did you sense something might have been off with her?" Vera asked "during the weeks leading up to her death?"

"Nothing too out of place" she said "Same old Marla as ever. Except, she was asking a lot about Wei, almost like you guys are now".

"Anything specific stick out in your mind?" Scotty asked.

"Not that I'm aware of" she said "just seemed odd she would be talking about her so long after the murder. I told her that there was no point in going into the case any further, especially since so much time has past. But knowing her, she probally had her mind set on finding out the truth of Wei's death, and its that very thing that got her killed".

"Thanks for your time Sherrie" Vera said, getting up from the chair "if you can think of anything else, please give us a call".

"Got it detectives" she said "and please, solve the case this time, for Wei and Marla's sake".

"Don't worry" Scotty replied, "We will, I can promise you that".

"I hope your right this time" she said "I really do".

* * *

"Lil"

Looking up, she saw Stillman standing behind her "Tammy Dansick just arrived at the station".

"Really?" she asked, slightly surprised by this "I though Mark said she wouldn't be back till another few days".

"Soon as she found out her mom was killed, hopped on the first flight back for Philly" he replied "father told her about the investigation, decided she come down and see if there was anything she could help with. Right now, I have her in my office but I was thinking maybe you should talk to her".

"Yeah, sure" she said, getting up from her chair "no problem". Walking around the desk she was at, she crossed over to the boss's door, an image of a young girl sitting at one of the empty chairs greated her, looking all worried and scared, hands held in her lap as if she were waiting in the principles office.

Only a few seconds later and a middle-aged woman took her place, brown hair now died blond and soft makeup around her cheeks, a full grown Tammy turning her head at the sound of the opened door.

"Hi Tammy" Lily said, "I'm Detective Rush".

"Your one of the people who visited my dad right?" she asked "you and that Stillman guy?"

"That's correct," she said, walking over and taking the empty seat next to her.

"He also said you were looking into Wei's death as well?" she said, as if finding this fact a bit off topic.

"We think that the same guy who killed her might have also killed your mother" Lily responded.

"You think so?" Tammy said.

"By now, yes, we think so" she replied.

"Wow" that was all Tammy could say, before going silent.

"Do you remember Wei much Tammy?" Lily asked.

She puffed her lips out "not really" she responded "I mean, I was only five at the time, so I don't remember much of anything from that year, I can barely even remember Wei's face".

"Can you think of anything at all?" she said "any sort of memory that stands out in your mind?"

"Well, not anything really…" she let her sentence fade off, finger tapping on her cheek "however, now that I think about it, I can think of one time".

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure when it was" Tammy said "but it's the only true memory I have of Wei. And hate to say it but it wasn't exactly one of the good ones".

* * *

_("Garden Party" by Ricky Nelson)_

_Tammy was playing away on the lawn, Barbie clutched in one hand while her toy car laid between her legs._

_"Now we're going to the office today" she said to the doll "so you can make money just like the grown ups"._

_It was a few more minutes till she lifted her head up again to see Wei walking over. Instantly, she burst into a smile. Wei was always so much fun to play with, always coming up with the best stuff to do, and she even promised Tammy the next time she came over they would make brownies together._

_"Hi Wei!" she yelled, hand waving in the air, just as her mom exited from the house._

_"Hello there Tammy" she replied, stepping onto the lawn "what you doing?"_

_"Just playing" she replied "Barbie has to go to the office today, so I'm driving her over"._

_"Well, that sounds very important" she replied._

_"Oh that's okay Wei," her mom said, walking down the front steps of the house "I already called Mrs. Jamison to baby-sit"._

_"But I want Wei to baby-sit!" Tammy exclaimed when she heard this "she's way more fun then Mrs. Jamison"._

_"Now Tammy, Mrs. Jamison is a good woman who loves you very much" she said, "You should be thankful she was able to come on such short notice"._

_"Its all right sweetie" Wei replied "next time I come over, I promise we'll-"_

_"Oh, that won't be necessary anymore" Marla said, "after all, you must have so much else to do besides watching Tammy"._

_"I don't mind" she replied, "Really, I love babysitting for-"_

_"Look Wei" Marla said, voice now hard "I don't think I've made myself clear. You are no longer wanted here anymore"._

_Her eyes got wide "W-what?" she said "Marla…"_

_"No" she said "there is nothing you can say that will sway my mind, especially words coming from some Shanghai street whore"._

_"Marla" Mark said, now appearing from the front door, look of concern on his face._

_"You stay away from me" she continued, voice lowered "my daughter and especially my husband, got that? We don't need any of your poison infecting our family" Wei didn't say anything, tears starting to well up in her eyes._

_With one last huff, she turned her back to Wei, walking back into the house._

_"You heard her," Mark said, stepping down from the steps "get out of here"._

_"Mark!" Jerry yelled, just now appearing "what's the meaning of this?"_

_"I was wondering when you'd show your face" Mark said, walking up._

_"Why the hell did you let Marla talk like that to her?!" he demanded "what's gotten into the two of you!"_

_"Don't play dumb Jerry" Mark hissed, "everyone in the whole god damn neighborhood knows! You and hers sick little deal. I always knew you were a loser Jerry, but I would have never took you for some pervert as well"._

_"That's enough" Jerry said._

_"No Jerry, that ain't" Mark continued, voice now spewing venom "I'm going to tell you the truth, the real truth that your little immigrant wife won't say to you"._

_"Mark, please" Wei said, tears streaming down her face._

_"She's been screwing around on you Jerry" he said, completely ignoring her words "heard it right from Sherrie, said she seduced Terrence and forced herself onto him"._

_"That's a lie!" she yelled._

_"Oh really?" Mark continued, now rounding onto her "then why don't you tell him the truth then?"_

_Jerry looked at her; face dumbfounded "is this true?" he asked "Wei? Did you…"_

_"It was a mistake," she said in a hoarse voice._

_Behind them, Tammy had begun to cry, all the yelling and swearing becoming to much for her to handle, her whole mind set on thinking she'd done something wrong. At her cry, Mark walked over to her, picking up his daughter and holding her in his arms._

_"You two" he said, backing up the steps "just stay away from my family or I swear, it'll be the last thing you do"._

_He turned his back to them, Tammy getting a fading shot of a distraught Wei now running back to her house._

_"Wei!" Jerry yelled, running after her._

_And when the door was shut behind them, everything went black._

* * *

"Is that all you remember?" Lily asked when she finished.

Tammy nodded "pretty much" she said "I don't know if it was much help or anything-"

"No, you did great" Lily replied "its hard to remember something from so far back, especially one as unpleasant as that".

"Well, if I remember something else, I'll be sure to tell you right away" Tammy said.

"that would be much appreciated" Lily responded.

"so, is it all right if I left?" she asked "my dad and I are pretty busy, you know, funeral arrangements and all…"

"don't worry, I understand" Lily said, rising from the chair "burying your mom is never something you look forward to".

"Never is" she replied, Lily opening the door for her "thank you".

Lily nodded in response, watching as Tammy headed out of the department.

"Got anything?" Stillman asked once he saw she was finished.

"Think I have" she responded "Two angry husbands, two diffrent motives to kill".


	5. Chapter 5

"For such an honest guy Mark" Lily said, "You sure did choose your word carefully when we first came to visit".

They were in the interrogation room now, Mark sitting in the cold steel chair while Lily walked slowly around the table, Scotty propped against one of the walls.

"I don't what you mean" he replied, nervousness evident in his voice.

"What I mean is," she said, walking over to him "that whole little scene you and your wife had with Wei on the lawn, sort of left that detail out".

"It never crossed my mind that it would be relevant," he said.

"Since when was the last time death threats weren't relevant?" Scotty asked, getting off the wall.

"I never made any to her!" he exclaimed.

"Lets see" Lily said, "Unless if my memory is wrong, I think the words you used were 'stay away from my family or I swear, it'll be the last thing you do'. Sounds like a threat to me".

"Or maybe we just don't get seventies lingo" Scotty remarked.

"I was mad at the time!" he said, "there was probably some stuff that came out that I'd normally wouldn't do".

"Same with murder" Lily said, arms on the table, focused on Mark's face "something a lot of us wouldn't normally do but when we're so caught up in the heat of the moment, things tend to…come out".

"I never killed her!" he said, "I didn't even have a reason to! If any, it was Jerry or Sherrie who had all the motive in the world!".

"Maybe" Scotty said "but that still doesn't mean you could have done it".

"But I never did!" he yelled.

"Then tell us Mark" Lily said, face getting closer "if you weren't the one, then who did?"

A tear began to roll down his cheek, hand coming up to his face to whip it away, body now as rigid as a statue, breathing becoming heavy.

"Come on Mark" Scotty said, kneeling down next to him "now's the time to say what you couldn't thirty-six years ago".

"I don't know what I can say, though" he said finally "the only thing I can say is that I'm innocent".

"You saying that just isn't going to cut it Mark" Lily said.

"Then I don't know what else I can say then" Mark replied, leaning back in his chair "only thing I can say for certain is that I never killed her".

* * *

"Must have torn you up inside Jerry" Kat said, she and Vera in the room next door, Jerry seated at the table, head hung over "finding out about Wei and Terrence".

"Pretty much broke up your happy little arrangement" Vera said "I know it would kill me if I found out my wife was seeing someone behind my back".

"She said it only happened once," Jerry said.

"True, it did" Kat said "but maybe you didn't think so at the time, probably figured she was lying right to you, wouldn't have been the first time".

"After every thing you did for her" Vera said, "just to find out her thanks is to sleep with a married man from down the street, that's sounds like the ultimate betrayal".

"I would never kill Wei" Jerry said, tears welling in his eyes.

"But maybe you just couldn't help it" Kat said.

"So then you decide to bash her head in" Vera said coldly.

"I never killed her! I loved her with all my heart!" he yelled, a tear rolling down his cheek, an image of his younger self-taking his place "I wanted to spend my whole life with her". And then his seventy year old self came back, face now wet with tears.

"I never wanted that for her" he continued, "I never wanted her to be made an outcast, not because of our marriage. All I wanted, all I ever wanted…was to make her happy".

"But she wasn't" Kat said "not fully anyway".

He nodded "though she never would say it to my face, I always knew that she couldn't really love me. She would have had any man she wanted, if things had been different for her, someone much better then me, someone who could give her that happiness I could never give her".

Kat reached out her hand, gently grasping Jerry's "but you did" she said, voice softer "you gave her a chance to live her life, one she would never have had back in China. That…American dream we all seek. Every one deserves that".

Another tear rolled down his face "I would have loved that" he said "but it never happened for her".

* * *

_("Let it Be" by The Beatles)_

_It was twelve thirty and Wei still had not come to bed. Getting a bit worried, Jerry got out of the bed, putting on a bathrobe and heading down the steps, having a feeling of where she might be._

_Opening the front door, he looked to his left, where the garden was located, Wei sitting on the small stone bench surrounded by the pale pink flowers she planted, nothing on but a pale blue nightgown._

_"Wei" he said, "are you coming to bed?"_

_She nodded "yeah, in a moment" she said in a soft voice._

_"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Jerry asked, "You've just been so out of it the past two weeks"._

_"I'm okay," she said._

_"If its about Terrence" he said, "You have to let it go. Its in the past, there's nothing that you can do about it now. I've already told you, I'm not angry at you-"_

_"Its not that" she said._

_"Then what?" he asked, walking over to her "what is it that's got you like this?"_

_She shrugged, tears starting to well up and running down her face "its just…" she began, hand reaching up to wipe the tears off "its just not exactly how I pictured it"._

_"What isn't?" he asked, kneeling next to her._

_"This" she said, indicating to the house "all of this. I just thought it wouldn't turn out like this". She paused for a moment, more tears running down her face._

_"I just had this idea" she continued, "that when I got to America, everything would be better. But its not"._

_"Things will get better," he said, hand resting on her shoulder "we just have to give it some more time, that's all. In a few weeks, I'm sure everything will-"_

_"But it won't!" she exclaimed, "Things aren't going to get better! Every one here treats me like I'm some wanted criminal! I here them whispering behind me every time I walk by them, calling me that 'little wife for hire' or the 'whore from China'. I'm nothing but a joke in this neighborhood!"_

_"Your not a joke" he said, "Don't forget, I'm going through it as well. I've had people talk about me as well, so what? Does it really matter what they think?"_

_She gave a sniff "I guess not" she said "but its just…it hurst so much"._

_She paused for a moment, "I never wanted this, for either of us"._

_"Hey" he said, "you couldn't have foreseen this, no could have. Things just...happened"._

_"I wish things were different," she said._

_"Me too" he replied "But all we can do now is to try and make it through this the storm, wait for the clouds to clear, and hope the sun comes out". She nodded, another hand reaching up to wipe away one last tear on her face._

_"Are you going to be okay?" he asked._

_She nodded "yeah, I think I am" she said "I'm just gonna stay out here for a little while longer. You go to bed and get some rest, i'll be up in a minute"._

_"You sure?" he asked._

_she nodded, "Really, I just need to clear my head that's all"._

_"Okay" he said, getting back to his feet "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"_

_She gave a final sniff "okay"._

_Nodding, Jerry turned back to the door, walking a short distance before hearing Wei call his name._

_"Jerry"_

_He looked back "hmm?"_

_She gave him a smile "thank you, for everything"._

_He gave her a smile, not really knowing what to say accept "it was nothing Wei". And with that, he turned back around, feeling happier then he'd ever been in weeks._

* * *

He stopped, hands rubbing together "and that was the last time I saw her alive...the very last time" he said "Every day, I think that I could have saved her if I hadn't left her there. Maybe then things would have been different".

"There was nothing you could have done" Kat said "there was no way you could have known something like that would have happened".

Jerry wiped the last of his tears away "when the police came the following morning, everyone had gathered at the house to see what was happening. And when they saw her body being wheeled into the truck, none of them even looked sad to see she was gone. No one".

"Must have been hard to go through" Vera said, in which Jerry nodded

"I was one of only a few people who even attended her burial" he went on "besides Terrence, no one from the neighborhood showed up to-"

"Wait a minute" Vera cut in "Terrence was there? As in, the Terrence that Wei cheated on you with?"

He nodded "yep, he came".

"Seems odd" Kat said, "Why would he bother going to her funeral?"

"I've got a few" Jerry said "but from what I could tell, I think Terrence actually loved Wei".

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Well for one" he said "he kept calling the house for weeks after the affair, and every time I answered he'd just say that he needed something or wanted to chat but every time I saw Wei answer it, she seemed panic and flustered, as if he was asking her something personal".

Kat turned to Vera "didn't Terrence say it was a one time thing when Scotty and the lieutenant went to visit?"

"What they reported when they got back" he replied, "That or he conveniently left out that little detail".

* * *

When Lily and Scotty were done with Mark, they walked out of the interrogation room to see Tammy standing beside the boss.

"Tammy" Lily said, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get my dad" she said "and…I think I know something that may help your investigation".

"And I think you two should hear it" Stillman said.

"Hear what?" Scotty asked, just joining them.

"Tammy, tell them exactly what you told me" Stillman said, an encouraging look on his face, telling the woman it was all right.

"Well" she said, "I wasn't sure about it before but after thinking it over, I knew that there must have been something to do with it".

"And what is that?" Lily asked.

"Its this dream of mine" she said "or at least...I don't think its a dream, more like some sort of long lost memory of mine. But any, I've been having the same one for almost months now and every time, its always the same".

* * *

Tammy rubbed her tired eyes, awoken for the second time that night. She felt as though she was on fire; the room stifling, as if someone had turned on the heat full blast. Tentatively getting out of the bed, she walked around to her window, pulling up the small stool so she could reach the lock switch on the window.

Hoisting it open, her eyes wondered over to the Doniphan's house across the street, a lone figure sitting in the garden. Is that Wei? She thought, eyes squinting to get a better view.

It sure seemed like her, image a bit fuzzy but she was sure that was Wei. Car lights appeared from beyond, their direction turning onto the street. A Vista Cruiser began to slow, stopping only a short distance from Wei's house.

That car looked an awful lot like Sherrie's husbands. She knew so cause she almost got ran over by it while on her tricycle and she could easily make out the ugly green color lighted by the street lamps. Kneeling slightly, she poked her head out the window, eyes squinting even harder as she saw someone step out.

She could see Terrence, business suit still on, walking up the lawn to Wei. Tammy strained her neck to get a better view but before anything could go any further, it all went dark.

* * *

Lily was silent for a moment "Tammy" she said "did you tell anyone else about this?"

She shrugged "not really, just my parents that's all but other then that no. I'm not sure if it helps at all but, with all this talk about Wei, I figured it might be important".

She nodded "thanks again Tammy".

"So, is it all right if I took my dad home?" she asked, looking at Stillman.

"You two done with him right?" he asked, both of them nodding "then I can't see anything wrong with keeping him". Hearing this, Tammy detached herself from the group, heading across the office to the interrogation rooms.

"So Terrence decides to make a little stop at Wei's house" Lily said.

"But we don't know if its true or not" he said "I mean, if it was all a dream-"

"Seems like a pretty convenient dream" Stillman commented "and since she was just five at the time, could have easily misinterpreted it as not being an actual memory". Suddenly, Jeffries appeared from behind.

"So I did that check" he said "and guess what I found out. The night of Wei's murder, seems our boy Terrence left the office at around fifteen minutes after twelve and judging by his street address, should only take a person about forty or so minutes to get home, thirty if traffic is low and at night, the streets can get pretty quite".

"That would mean he arrived home at around twelve fifty," Lily said.

"Right around the same time Wei was killed" Scotty said.

"Not only that but I got this" he held up a sheet a paper "Ballistics report from downstairs. The bullet they pulled out of Marla, was the exact cartridge match for a very special Colt Python, a type of magnum that was on sale for a limited time in 2003, prices ranging up in the thousands. And looking the purchase records for the gun, Terrence was one of those lucky few to purchase himself one".

"You all will not guess what we found out," Vera's voice came cutting in, Kat following close behind him, Lily figuring the two must have been done with Jerry already.

"Seems our man Terrence had some deeper feelings for Wei then we thought" Kat said, "might be worth looking into". No one spoke, the four detectives starting to piece together the puzzle.

"What?" Vera asked, "Did we miss something?"

"only other people she told was her parents" Stillman said.

"it was the last bit of information mom needed to figure it all out" Scotty said.

"then it lead to her death" Lily said "and Terrence is right smack dab in the middle of it all".

* * *

It only took them literally under an hour to haul Terrence into the station, immediately sticking him in one of the rooms before Lily stepped in, Scotty right behind her, both ready for what was to come.

"Picked your words pretty carefully back at your office Terrence" Scotty began "if I remember right, you said the whole thing with Wei was just a one time deal, that she was nothing but a lost girl looking for attention".

"So I did," he said.

"But we know that ain't true" Lily said, "It wasn't just some fling that happened, it meant something a lot more. So tell me Terrence, exactly how long was it you had these feelings for her? Was it at the party? The time she came to your home? Or was it some other encounter we don't know about it?"

"Why would I love some piece of trash like that?" he snarled.

"Maybe cause you knew how people would react" Scotty cut in "married man having romantic feelings for the mail order bride with the bad reputation, can be a pretty big scandal".

"So you thought maybe you could woo her some how" Lily now taking over "convince her to leave behind her life with Jerry and come away with you. After all, like you said, she was miserable at the time, everyone in the neighborhood hated her, married to a guy she had only known for a few weeks, thought it be easy to sweep her off her feet and give her the life she truly wanted".

"But that didn't happen, did it?" Scotty asked, "She blew you off, wanted nothing more to happen. So after a few weeks of calling, you start to get a little bit desperate, try a bit harder then before, maybe hope to run into her at some point, until one night when your driving back from a long days work, you just happen to see her out on her lawn and you have your chance".

"I already told you" he said, "I was working late that night".

"Oh you were Terrence" Lily said "no doubt about that. Remind me, when did you get off again?"

"Little after one thirty" he said.

"Wrong answer there Terrence" Scotty said "we got papers proving that you clocked out at twelve fifteen, and it takes about...what, thirty or so minutes to get back to your house?"

"So I was off an hour" he said "sue me, still doesn't prove I killed her".

"Then how about this then" Lily said, walking around the table towards him "green Vista Cruiser, ring a bell there? Cause that sounds an awful lot like your car".

"S-so what?" he said "they could have been mistaken, Vista's were common back then!"

"Sure" Lily continued "still doesn't explain why you were parked outside her house, just minutes before she was killed".

"I-I" he tried to stream words together but they just came out a jumbled mess.

"Let me help you with that Terrence" Lily said, voice taking a hard edge "here's how I think things went down. You tried to convince Wei, for the very last time, tried to tell her that everything she ever wanted could be made possible if she came with you. And when she said no, you figured that if you couldn't have her, Jerry couldn't have her".

"Y-you don't-" he again tried to speak, a tear starting to form in his eye, face going pale.

"And then when Marla found out" she continued, voice steadily rising "you started to panic and so you drove to her apartment, with a gun in your hand, ready to silence her should things get out of hand!"

And then he busted out crying, hand slamming on the table "just stop!" he yelled, "just stop it please!"

"Then tell us the truth Terrence," she said "if you ever loved Wei, if you ever truly loved her, you will finally admit to what you did that night"

He sobbed, "I-I didn't mean for things to happen!" he continued, "I never wanted to hurt her! No one like Jerry could have ever given her what I could have, all I wanted was to be with her! And then when Marla found out…I panicked! I never wanted her dead, neither of them. I wish I could just take it all back, I really do…".

* * *

_Terrence stopped the car across the street from her house, stepping out into the cool night air, Wei standin up once she saw him coming towards the house._

_She hurried down the lawn "what are you doing here?" she said hastily._

_"I had to see you," he said, "please Wei, I want to make this right"._

_"We've already went through this" she said, "It was a mistake, nothing else!"_

_"I know you don't mean that!" he said "tell me you didn't felt that connection? Tell me you don't have these feelings like I do"._

_"I've already told you!" she exclaimed, "Terrence, you have a family! You have a wife that loves you and two beautiful kids and you're just going to throw that all away!"_

_"For you, yes" he said, grabbing her by the hands "don't you see Wei? I'm in love with you! And I can't think of any one else I would rather be with!"_

_"But you barely even know me!" she said, pulling out of his grasp "the longest we ever talked to each other was that very day! What you're saying…I can never do that to Jerry, never"._

_"Jerry" he said in a mocking voice "what's so special about that dork?"_

_"Without him" she said, "I would still be in China, scraping by every single day just to get the things everyone here takes advantage of!"_

_"But I can still give you that life!" he said, arms wrapping around her, Wei letting out a small scream "I can give you so much more then Jerry could in a million years! Please Wei, just come with me!"_

_"Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling to escape "please let me go!"_

_"I can be that someone you always dreamed about!" he said, still going on as if he never heard her "I can take you away from all this mess, we can start over, just the two of us! Somewhere far away from this piece of shit city, where all our dreams can come true!"_

_"Let me go!" she jabbed her knee up, hitting Terrence right in the groin. Doubling over in pain, Wei escaped from his grasp, backing up slightly with her hand held out._

_"Please Terrence" she said "just go home. Please just go or I'll have to call the police"._

_"Wei, please" he said as she began to turn back to the house "Wei!"_

_Hysterical at this point, he couldn't help but notice the stone lawn gnome just inches from his foot. His sadness starting to turn to rage, he reached down, grasping the thing by its head, almost unfazed by the weighty object._

_"I can't let you go" he said, taking huge strides as he neared her "you here me?" she still didn't acknowledge him, now starting to walk faster._

_"You here me!" he yelled, lunging forward, his hand grabbing her by the shoulder, immediatly she tried to shake off his hand "I can't let you go!" he swung with all his might, the rounded end of the gnome hitting her right to the side. A sickening crunch followed, Wei instantly buckling to the ground._

_She moaned slightly, hands clawing at the grass as she tried to keep going._

_"You think you can just walk away from me!" he continued, still locked in his rage, swinging the gnome down again, Wei letting out a muffled cry of pain._

_"after all I've tried to do for us you fucking whore!" raising the gnome above his head, he swung down with all his might, the curdling sound of stone meeting flesh reaching his ears. Lifting the gnome, he swung again for the second time, then a third, then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, he kept on swinging until with one final hit, he felt his strength go._

_There he stood, the night silent once again, hand still gripping the bloodied lawn ornament. At his feet, Wei laid there, unmoving, blood dripping from the side of her head._

_Then the realization came seeping in and when it did, the force was like that of a tidal wave. He completely broke down; falling to his knees, hand letting go of the stone ornament, tears flowing down from his face._

_He gave a wheezy sigh "I'm so sorry" he said, "I'm s-so sorry. Wei, please get up...Wei? Wei!" he tried to stir her but it was no use, she was already dead. He bit on his arm, pure frustration and heartbreak coursing through his body._

_Lifting his head, he shakily got to his feet, turning back to his car before stopping himself. He darted back and grabbed the discarded gnome, then half ran, half stumbled his way back to his car. Hand still clutched to the bloody object, he switched the car on, quickly tearing down the neighborhood before anyone could see him._

* * *

_("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack)_

As Scotty walked around the table, Terrence flashed back to his younger self, except now with look of pure sadness etched on his face at the thought of what he had just done and what laid ahead of him now. Taking him by the arm, he brought him up, once again flashing back to his present day, older self.

Handcuffs on, he and Lil lead him out of the room, where at the end of the office they could see Jerry, Mark, and Tammy, all turning their heads as they saw him being lead out by the cops. As someone walked by, the three of them were taken back to there seventies selves, Jerry all pudgy and short, Mark as handsome as ever, and a five-year-old Tammy holding her fathers hand. As they watched Terrence being lead out, they then flashed back to the present, faces a mix of solemn grief and anger.

Tori was sitting in her favorite chair, cup of tea held in one hand, while the other gently stroked the tabby cat lying on her lap. As she looks down at the purring creature, she flashes back to that time when she was still slim, her hair still that brown color, and face coated in makeup. Raising her cup, she flashes back to her present self, taking a small sip of the hot liquid, eyes staring absently out the sunlit window.

Back in her house, Sherrie was again seated at the table, those divorce papers Terrence handed her now spread out in front of her, pen clasped loosely in one free hand. Turning her head to the side, she saw her wedding photo, both she and Terrence smiling, looking like the happiest couple on earth. As she faced the papers again, a flash of light brings her back to that age when she was as blonde and pretty as ever, still naïve to the world around her. Letting out a sigh, she raised the pen, face flashing back to her older self and with one swift stroke, wrote her signature on the dotted line.

In the storage room, Stillman had the large black marker in his hand, now writing the word **closed **onto Wei's box. As he finished, Vera placed the lid on and lifted it to the shelf above. From behind him, an image of Marla watched as the box was set onto the above compartment, a look of happiness and approval on her face, justice finally served. And as John and Nick turned to leave the room, she slowly faded from view, never once breaking her smile.

Kat had her hand clasped on her daughter's shoulder as the two of them walked down the street. Once they neared their location, she knelt down, giving a small talk to her daughter, who nodded in response once she finished. With a kiss on the cheek and one final hug, she stood back up and gently patted her off to him, who had just appeared from his apartment building, face lit up as he picked up the small girl. Looking over to Kat, she stared at him with a face that meant one clear thing. Don't mess this up.

Outside of the Doniphan home, Lily watched as Jerry walked back up to his house, head held low, hands in his pockets.

As he continued up the lawn, Jerry raised his head and looked to the garden, that same garden she had planted all those years ago. Wei was seated on that stone bench she loved so much, dressed in the same outfit that she wore the first day they met. She looked at Jerry, a smile on her face, eyes warm, looking as though nothing had ever happened.

Returning her smile, he kept walking up to the house, eyes never leaving her. Giving him one more smile, Wei turned her head towards the horizon and faded away...


End file.
